Top 10 Guest Stars on SMALLVILLE
Kayla Grosse - February 2, 2011
SMALLVILLE returns from its Winter hiatus on Friday, February 4, 2011 at 8PM ET/PT on The CW. During these final 11 episodes, a few fan favorites from seasons past return as guest stars: Annette O'Toole reprises her role as Martha Kent in the "Beacon" episode on February 11th, Allison Mack is scheduled to appear in multiple shows, and there's still that rumor that John Schneider will play Jonathan Kent one last time.
To commemorate this final stretch of the 10-year-old series, we take a look back at the top 10 guest stars who played no small role in SMALLVILLE.
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Christopher Reeve (as Dr. Virgil Swann)
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 Photo credit: The WB/Dana Belcher |
Episodes: Legacy; Rosetta About his character: Virgil Swann was a wealthy genius who studied ways of communicating with other planets, and he founded the Veritas Society, a group that was looking for "The Traveler" (a.k.a. Clark Kent/Superman). After finding Clark by happenstance, Dr. Swann convinced him to come to his observatory in Manhattan NY, where he told Clark of his Kryptonian heritage and the Veritas Society.
Why he was great: When this icon of the SUPERMAN movies of the '70s and '80s returned to Clark Kent's universe, Christopher Reeve exceeded fans' expectations, providing an inspirational element to SMALLVILLE. Appearing in a wheelchair nine years after a horse-riding accident left him paralyzed from the neck down, Reeve's breathtaking performace also helped raise awareness of his condition and The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation. |
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Margot Kidder (as Bridgette Crosby)
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 Photo credit: The WB/Alan Markfield |
Episodes: Crusade; Transference About her character: Bridgette Crosby was the ambassador assistant to -- and one-time lover of -- Dr. Virgil Swann. She was one tough woman who worked tirelessly for Swann to find the Stones of Power. When she finally possessed the Water Stone, she disappeared and was later killed by Jason Teague, who sought the Stone for his mother.
Why she was great: Even though her appearances were very short, Margot Kidder really worked her dialogue and exhibited her tough nature, showing audiences why she was cast as Lois Lane in the SUPERMAN movies of the '70s and '80s. |
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Dean Cain (as Dr. Curtis Knox)
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 Photo credit: Marcel Williams/The CW |
Episodes: Legacy; Rosetta About his character: Curtis Knox came to SMALLVILLE as a neurosurgeon who claimed he could cure all meteor freaks. Knox, however, was not what he seemed. In order to save his wife, he harvested organs from these meteor-infected metahumans.
Why he was great: Dean Cain's highly-anticipated and riveting performance allowed audiences to see the two most recent TV incarnations of Clark Kent face off. Using insight from his own time playing Superman on LOIS & CLARK: THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, Cain's SMALLVILLE character helped Clark Kent realize his immortality. |
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Helen Slater (as Lara-El)
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 Photo credit: Michael Courtney/The CW |
Episodes: Lara; Blue; Abandoned About her character: Lara-El is the biological mother of Kal-El (Clark Kent) and the wife of Jor-El, Clark’s father and the leader of the once planet Krypton. Her sudden appearance in Clark’s life was a surprise and also a gift to Clark who never thought he would meet his biological family. Even though Lara-El was a clone of the real version, she was able to help Clark understand more of his destiny.
Why she was great: The way Helen Slater carried herself in such a sweet and angelic nature really brought Lara-El to life, making the audience forgive her for her leading role in the critically-panned 1984 movie, SUPERGIRL: THE MOVIE. |
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Lynda Carter (as Moira Sullivan)
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 Photo credit: Michael Courtney/The CW |
Episodes: Progeny About her character: Moria Sullivan is Chloe Sullivan's long-lost mother, who Chloe believes to be catatonic in a mental institution. Moira, however, is found by Lex Luthor to be a metahuman, who has the power to control other meteor-freaks -- including Chloe.
Why she was great: Lynda Carter's final scene with Allison Mack, who plays her onscreen daughter, is an emotionally heartbreaking performance that should be watched with a box of tissues at the ready. |
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Michael McKean (as Perry White)
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 Photo credit: The WB/David Gray |
Episodes: Perry; Hostage About his character: Perry “The Bulldog” White is a famous reporter for the Daily Planet. First appearing as a washed-up, alcoholic reporter, Clark saves his life and helps him realize his life isn’t worth throwing away. Inspired and intrigued by him, White was convinced Clark wasn’t like any normal teenager.
Why he was great: Michael McKean brought a spark to the little town of Smallville. He was great at playing Perry, busting Clark’s chops and making him sweat a bit when questioning if he isn’t as normal as he seems on the outside. His debut episode is a fan favorite. |
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James Marsters (as Dr. Milton Fine a.k.a Brainiac)
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 Photo credit: Ed Araquel/The CW |
Episodes: Arrival; Aqua; and many more About his character: One of Clark’s greatest enemies, Brainiac, first appeared as Milton Fine, Clark's college professor and friend. Fine later revealed himself to be a Kryptonian supercomputer called the Brain InterActive Construct (BrainIAC).
Why he was great: James Marsters played a character who was truly evil, testing Clark’s abilities and helping him understand what it means to save the world -- and to protect his loved ones. Plus, fangirls and fanboys everywhere got to see Marsters masterfully play a villainous character who later turned good, just as he did when he portrayed Spike on BUFFY THE VAMIRE SLAYER and its spin-off ANGEL. |
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Pam Grier (as Amanda Waller)
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 Photo credit: Michael Courtney/The CW |
Episodes: Absolute Justice; Checkmate; Sacrifice About her character: Amanda Waller was the callous leader of the secret government agency known as Checkmate. Waller and her team used ruthless agents and meteor-infected people to hunt down and kill superhero groups, such as the Justice Society of America, and aliens, who the government believed to be walking amongst humans.
Why she was great: Pam Grier brought a little bit of her FOXY BROWN attitude to SMALLVILLE when she appeared for several episodes in season 9. Grier’s portrayal of Waller was strong and fun to watch. Her one-liners and sexual innuendos towards Clark, as well as her character's cold-hearted nature, made for entertaining television. Who doesn’t love to see a strong, foxy woman kick some butt? |
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Phil Morris (as John Jones)
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 Photo credit: Michael Courtney/The CW |
Episodes: Static; Labyrinth; and many many more. About his character: John Jones is better known as the Martian Manhunter, a bounty hunter from the planet Mars, and he's become an integral part of the Justice League. Jones has come to the rescue on several occasions, helping Clark defeat rivals and even saving him from an untimely death.
Why he was great: While playing an heroic and often hilarious alien, Phil Morris portrayed a complex character whose love for cookies, bold wisdom, and naïve bluntness made him very loveable. Plus, Morris' Jones always had the uncanny ability to save Clark when it seemed there was no other hope. |
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Brian Austin Green (as John Corben a.k.a. Metallo)
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 Photo credit: Jack Rowand/The CW |
Episodes: Savior; Metallo; Upgrade About his character: John Corben first appeared as an ordinary human, but after getting hit by a truck, Corben woke up to find himself half-man, half-machine. His heart was replaced by a kryptonite heart, giving him superhuman strength and a new purpose -- to seek revenge on the Red-Blue Blur (Clark), who Corben believed to be a vigilante responsible for his sister's death.
Why he was great: By adding real depth to his character, Brian Austin Green evoked sympathy from viewers by showing how Corben/Metallo struggled to lead a normal human life despite being more machine than man. Plus, Green provided an unexpected brains-over-brawn adversary for Clark. |
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This is only the beginning of a very large list of guest stars that SMALLVILLE has had over the years. Other favorites include, Teri Hatcher, Kyle Gallner, Lee Thompson Young, Alan Ritchson, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Tori Spelling, Carrie Fisher, Jane Seymour, Lucas Grabeel, Adam Brody and Amy Adams.
Did we forget someone? Have your own personal favorite guest star? Sound off in the comments, we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Tune into the CW this Friday at 8PM ET/PT to see an all new episode of SMALLVILLE.
Kayla Grosse is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison in film, radio and television. An aspiring television writer, Kayla also spends her time working at Starbucks and listening to music.
